About Dan

I am a Seattle area native, a graduate of Highline High School and the University of Washington undergraduate and law school.

Dad was a general practice lawyer serving the diverse community of White Center for 35 years while serving his country as an Air Force reservist. Mom was a nurse and taught in the school of nursing at Highline Community College for many years. I was the well-adjusted middle child between two sisters living a Northwest childhood on my grandparents’ Wenatchee fruit orchard and spending summers on Dad’s beloved cabin cruiser.

In 1985 I joined the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in the Criminal Division and spent the next five years trying all types of cases. Norm Maleng asked me to be the office gang prosecutor in 1988, and two years later when Chief of Staff Bob Lasnik became a Superior Court judge, Norm asked me to fill that role. I was just 30 years old when I began a wonderful 17-year stint as Norm’s right-hand man. I learned most of what I know about the law and life from Norm. He was as warm and wise in private as his public reputation suggests.

When Norm died suddenly in May 2007, I ran to succeed him and lead the office. We are a big office, with 230 attorneys and 250 staff. We handle 25,000 criminal cases a year and also provide legal counsel to all parts of King County government. It is a great job with no dull moments, even when we might wish for one.

I met Linda Norman in law school on Orientation Day and we married right after the Bar exam. We have two wonderful children, James and Katie. Among the many activities we enjoy is our nine-piece classic rock dance-party band, The Approximations.

I am fortunate to be surrounded by a team of talented and dedicated deputy prosecutors and professional staff. Together we have built one of the finest prosecuting attorney’s offices in the nation. To continue to lead our office in service of justice is my greatest professional honor. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions, or an invitation to speak to your organization, please shoot me a message.

Today, 200 Americans likely will die from a drug overdose. Most of them will die alone.

The government’s modern-day response to our nation’s overdose epidemic has been woefully inadequate. Rather than relying on medical science, our leaders have been influenced by the same misguided approaches that undergirded the “war on drugs” in the 1980s — fear, stigma and racism.

We need a smarter strategy that reduces harm and saves lives. This starts with prosecutors ending the criminal crackdown on drug users — pushing for treatment instead of pressing charges; encouraging law enforcement to change street approaches; and, most of all,…

My family's personal experience with addiction taught me a lot about what it takes to help end the cycle of substance abuse that too often spirals into criminal activity. Getting people help instead of handcuffs also reduces recidivism and the cost to society as a whole.